We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar! We often hear that probiotics are important to maintain healthy digestion, but what exactly do they do? Fitness recently learned all about the friendly bacteria from Dr. Melina B. Jampolis, MD, who we met with at an Activia event. We asked her about the digestive system, the role of probiotics in overall health, and how to incorporate the live microorganisms in our diets. Here’s what she had to say: How do probiotics help regulate our digestive system? Probiotics are friendly bacteria that live in our intestines. The gut contains 70 percent of our body’s immune tissue, so a healthy gut is important for healthy immune function. Probiotics help keep the cells of the colon healthy, promoting good digestion. Things like stress, lack of sleep, medication, and infection can throw off the ratio of good to bad bacteria in the intestines, which can lead to overall health and digestive problems. This bacteria keeps the cells that line the gut healthy. They produce vitamins and produce lactase, an enzyme that helps break down milk. Can you get probiotics from frozen yogurt? Learn this and more after the break!

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Gene Therapy Advance: Researchers reported online in the New England Journal of Medicine that they saw success in using gene therapy to treat hemophilia B, with four of six patients making enough of a crucial blood-clotting factor to skip their usual protein injections and the other two requiring injections less frequently, the WSJ reports . Scientists said more studies need to be done before the treatment becomes standard; meantime, researchers plan to study the gene-therapy method in the more common hemophilia A. Improving Treatment: Other research published online in the NEJM suggests that patients with early-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma can skip radiation and receive only chemotherapy to treat their disease, Bloomberg News reports . The research found those undergoing chemo only were more likely to be alive a dozen years later than those who received radiation plus chemo or radiation alone. Health-Care Changes: Health-care industry players are treading on each others’ turf in an attempt to cut costs, boost the quality of care and prepare for the implementation of the health-care overhaul law, the WSJ reports . The sluggish economy has also helped to prompt changes including the increased direct employment of doctors by hospitals and insurers’ interest in buying or coordinating more closely with health-care providers. French Drug Scandal: Fallout from the 2009 withdrawal of the diabetes drug Mediator from the market in France is causing the country’s “largest public-health scandal in at least a decade,” the New York Times reports . Health officials estimate that up to 2,000 people died from heart-valve problems and pulmonary hypertension after taking the drug, which was approved for diabetes but, government investigators contend, was also promoted by the company for weight loss. The manufacturer, Laboratoires Servier, tells the NYT it hasn’t done anything wrong. Image: iStockphoto

You might think that sweating it out can be harmful to your hair, but you should start thinking of your workout as part of your beauty routine. Most of us know that eating a well-balanced diet helps make for a healthy mane . But it hadn’t occurred to me that hair could also reap beauty benefits from working out until celebrity stylist, educator, and fitness buff Natasha Sunshine introduced me to the idea. She’s built her career on holistic hair care after witnessing the benefits first hand. Natasha shared five ways that getting your sweat on helps add shine to your hair. Turn Up Intensity Natasha reminded me that intense cardio is a great way to rid the body of toxins. This has a direct impact on your sebum, an oily, conditioning substance secreted by skin glands that helps prevent hair from drying out. Natasha says that the release of toxins “directly contributes to purer, healthier and an even more conditioning sebum.” Get Drenched In addition to intense cardio and other sweat promoting workouts, Natasha advises clients to take a steam or sauna once a week as a “fantastic tool in releasing excess contaminants in the body to maintain a healthy sebum.” Learn more ways your hair benefits from your gym time, after the break.

Devyn Pangyanszki is the daughter of Jennifer Seitz, a senior editor at CNN.com. I’m 10 years old, and for almost half of my life I’ve been a vegetarian. My whole family eats meat, and my favorite meat used to be ham. All that changed in first grade. I was a narrator in the play “Charlotte’s Web,” which is the story of a pig named Wilbur, a spider and a girl who wants to keep Wilbur alive on her dad’s farm. The part that made me really want to become a vegetarian is when the dad wanted to make the pig into bacon. I told my mom that I wanted to stop eating meat, and she supported my choice. But I know she was worried about my protein. She had to look up a lot of information. Kids as vegetarians: Parents, it's really OK She changed a lot of our family favorites and had to get new recipes. I love black beans, and there’s really not a bean I don’t like. I eat all fruits and vegetables except one (carrots.) Tofu on the grill is yummy! Fake meat tastes great to me. I have veggie bacon every morning. Most of my friends say it tastes like bacon-flavored rubber, but I met a vegetarian friend this summer, and she loves it, too. To make sure I’m getting everything I need, I use Bragg’s [seasonings that have all my amino acids], and I take other vitamins, too. Sometimes people I meet are surprised to find out I’m a vegetarian, and others are surprised how long I’ve been one. It does take a lot of determination, but it’s worth it to me to be so healthy and to save animals.

During Summer months, you might find yourself splurging on $5 froyo almost every day to keep cool. That’s an expensive habit, especially when it’s so simple and inexpensive to make homemade frozen yogurt. Additionally, you might not be aware of the additives and mysterious ingredients within the store-bought stuff that you are consuming. Instead, dig into our FitSugar original tart frozen yogurt recipe.

Abortion, just like any other surgical procedure, carries with it some risks of life-threatening conditions. As it is defined, abortion is the expulsion of the human fetus prematurely. It involves utilization of medications and/or surgical instruments to halt the growth and expel the fetus from the womb. Spontaneous abortion, likewise called miscarriage, is a type of abortion that occurs even without medical intervention. Induced abortion , on the contrary, utilizes instruments and drugs in order to stop the development of pregnancy. For several countries, induced abortion is legal. However, there are still a few nations which stand by their principles and believe in the sanctity of life and the viability of a growing fetus. There are actually several lines of thought on the matter. Some consider that a fetus is considered a human being once it has grown to full maturity and out of the womb. Some, on the other hand, believe that fertilization is the start of a new life. Some women undergo induced abortion for personal reasons, even going through late term abortion. The discussion on the legalization of late term abortion has divided several groups. According to Wikipedia, late-term abortion is the termination of pregnancy after 20 th week of gestation. However, some sources would consider 12 th to 16 th week of gestation as late. Whenever one chooses to expel the fetus, late term abortion poses a great risk and threat on the pregnant woman. The procedures by which the activity is carried out may involve D&E (Dilation and Evacuation), D&X (Dilation and Extraction) and hysterotomy. Dilation and evacuation involves the insertion of a long clamp and the fetus’ body is randomly grabbed. Slowly, the body parts are extracted and the head is crushed and removed. Any fetal products are then vacuumed. Dilation and extraction , on the other hand, utilizes equipment which dilates the cervix. The fetus is then rotated with its feet facing downwards and its body is pulled down except the head. A surgical scissors are then inserted into the base of the fetal skull and then the brain is suctioned until it collapses. Finally, the fetus is withdrawn. Another procedure that is done in late term abortion is hysterotomy , which is similar to a Cesarean section. A woman is initially given an anesthetic and a cut is made on her abdomen which extends to the uterus. The fetus is then removed and the excision is stitched back. The procedures in late term abortion pose a great health risk which could even be fatal. In Dilation and evacuation, some fetal parts and fragments might not be expelled completely. Allowed to remain inside the womb, the parts could decay and cause infection later. When infection enters the bloodstream, this could even lead to a more life-threatening condition called sepsis. A higher generation antibiotic is usually given during this time. If left untreated, this could result into septic shock and eventually, death. Another risk that could occur in a late term abortion is hemorrhage. Since it involves the use of surgical instruments, the risk for bleeding is higher. Furthermore, some tears on the uterine wall might cause continuous bleeding and scarring. Some might not even be able to conceive in the future. In other cases, the torn uterus might have to be removed fully to prevent any life-threatening conditions. Having late term abortion, just like any induced abortion, has its many pitfalls and complications. One must be able to deal not only with the physical risks but also with the psychological and emotional struggles that occur post-abortion. Some women who undergo the procedure feel a deep sense of regret and some others suffer from depression. Before contemplating on the procedure, one must first seek the guidance of reliable counselors.

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar! As of this past weekend, Spring is finally, officially here – along with panic about the upcoming bikini season. When it comes to shaping up your abs , you want to combine a healthy , diet with high-intensity cardio and moves that target your deep abdominal muscles – aka the transverse abdominus. When strong, these babies work like an invisible girdle, pulling everything up and in. Result: A flat belly without the Spanx ! We asked exercise physiologist Amy Dixon , group fitness manager at Equinox in Santa Monica, CA, for some of her favorite moves to tame the lower abdominal area – or as we like to call it, the “pooch.” Stability Ball Rollout Kneel on the floor behind a stability ball. Place your forearms on top of the ball, hands clasped to start. Contract your abs and roll the ball forward as far as possible without bending back or hunching shoulders (shown above). Hold for 2 counts, then return to start for one rep. Do 2 sets of 15 reps. Stability Ball Jack Knives Get in push-up position with your shins elevated on a stability ball. Your body should form a straight line from the top of your head to your heel. Brace your abs to prevent your midsection from sagging toward the floor. Slowly pull your knees toward your chest. Straighten legs to roll the ball back to start and complete the rep. Do 2 sets of 14 reps. See how planks can help you tone your belly.

I have the utmost respect for our uniformed men and women – they put their lives on the line every day. And they can also do multiple sets of push-ups without so much as a grimace on their barely sweaty faces. For those of us that sometimes, ahem, are challenged to elevate themselves back into the plank position, I’ve got a new kind of push-up for you that doesn’t require a knees-on-the-floor starting position. Besides pumping myself up during the intenSati class , I learned a new and fun version of the push-up. Instead of dropping to the floor in the typical plank position, you start the exercise in what is called the “warrior” position. Want to see how to do it?